Saturday, August 31, 2013

The
school year has begun this past Monday August 26. The excitement and
anxiousness of the first day of classes has been looming all summer. There are
those who are returning students, as well as new incoming freshmen. These
groups of students are fresh and new to college. Some can feel lost and
confused, while others are accustomed to change.

The transition
from high school to college can be difficult. This has prompted UT Tyler to
create a program that can assist freshmen with getting familiar with this new
environment. The Patriot Freshman Connection program was developed to aid
freshmen in their transition from high school. This program consists of a peer
mentor who is assigned to a group of freshmen with similar majors. They also
get a faculty/staff mentor assigned to them.

I have
decided to participate in this program to help new students feel like home in a
new campus, especially those that are away from their family/friends back home.

The
purpose of a peer mentor is to provide new students with someone that has been
through the experiences they will go through. I will be in charge of helping
new students find ways to get involved on campus. I will inform them of events
that happen every month through e-mail. I will also be a friend to whoever feels like they
need somebody to talk to.

This
experience is a continuation of my summer as an orientation leader. I will
share the same leadership roles to make these students have a good first year
of college. The PFC mentor meet and greet occurred Tuesday August 27, but I was unable to meet the students in my group as they were absent. That's alright though because Facebook will help me get connected!!

It all
comes down to your college experience. The first year can at times be
difficult, either through class stress, being homesick or even feeling alone.
Regardless of what reason it may be, having someone to help you transition to
the best four years of your life can mean a lot to some. I want to empower people
throughout my life, and I love helping others when they need it. This
opportunity will provide me the satisfaction of knowing that those assigned to
my group can have somebody to confide in anytime, but it will also strengthen
my interpersonal skills.

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